That’s what happened to John Allen of Tunica, MS. The loved one he wanted to see was his dog. Allen and his mixed-breed mutt, Lady Marie, were tooling along Highway 61 one day, Allen on his bicycle with Lady Marie in an attached two-wheeled cart, to which Allen had affixed signs saying “Louisiana to Michigan” and “Broke – Hungry – Lost Everything in a House Fire.”

“They didn’t seem to have a care in the world. Just a man and his dog, enjoying life and the company of each other,” the Tunica Times reports.

Suddenly, a car struck Allen’s bicycle. Thrown into the road, he was critically injured. ”The impact was so profound, it caused Lady [Marie] to bolt in fear from the one person she loved more than anything. She ran into the nearby woods,” reports the Times.

As emergency workers strove to save Allen’s life and prepare him to be airlifted to the nearest medical center, Allen cried out for his dog.

Lady Marie. Photograph courtesy of MyFox-Memphis.

It was around then that Tunica Animal Shelter director Sandy Williams got a call from a Mississippi state trooper. ”He was concerned there was this man about to be airlifted to the Med and he was calling out for his dog,” Williams told MyFox-Memphis.

Arriving at the scene of the accident after Allen had been airlifted away, Williams located Lady Marie, who, besides an injured paw, was in good condition.

“She came running back to the only thing that she knew, and that was the wreckage of the trailer and the bike,” Williams said.

The first thing Allen asked for upon emerging from his coma was his dog. Williams assured him that Lady Marie was safe at the shelter — and showed him pictures to prove it.

Three months after the accident, Allen and Lady Marie — “who had nothing in this world but each other,” as MyFox-Memphis puts it — were finally reunited last Wednesday.

If you observe your dog repeatedly shaking its head or rubbing its ears along the nearest available surface, or if you smell a foul odor coming from its ears, check the ears for a waxy build-up. In addition, the ears may be red and painfully inflamed.

All of these signs are symptoms of otitis externa, or more commonly referred to as ‘ear infections’. As I write this my own dog has decided to demonstrate it for me. He sat up abruptly, starting shaking his head furiously, then lay back down on the rug and began rubbing the side of his head back and forth on the rug.

Canine ear infections result from an overgrowth of yeast or bacteria in the ear canal, causing redness, irritation and a heavy accumulation of wax. These conditions are usually skin reactions to inhaled allergens – like pollen, mold or dust mites. They can also be caused by food allergies and sensitivity to other external sources. If your dog has large ears like mine, it will be predisposed to ear infections.

We humans usually develop ear infections as a result of viral infections, usually when we’re babies or very young. The Eustachian tubes in our ears are very small and respiratory congestion can lead to blockage of these canals, resulting in a middle ear infection. Because the infection is internal, oral antibiotics are usually required to clear up the infection.

In contrast, dogs usually develop ear infections after they become adults, and the infection is almost always confined to the external portion of the ear. In most cases, the application of an effective ear wash made especially for dogs will clear up a mild infection and leave your dog’s ears clean again. I have used Ear Wash for Dogs from DogsHealth. This is an all-natural, proprietary blend of citrus oils with deionized water. It helps clear my dog’s ear canals of any accumulated debris and reduces wax buildup without alcohol, harsh chemicals or irritants that are common in other leading brands.

If you suspect your dog may be suffering from a serious ear infection that doesn’t respond to cleaning, you should check with your veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment. If necessary, your vet may prescribe a topical medicine and advise routine cleaning with a product like Ear Wash for Dogs.

Knowing when and how to clean your dog’s ears is an important part of the care and maintenance required of all dog owners.

Many dogs with severe allergies that result in constant bad skin and ear infections really may improve with canned, home cooked or raw food with the least ingredients. If your dog has constant problems, feeding them differently can make all the difference in the world. Each dog is an individual and may be allergic or not tolerant of different ingredients. It is up to us to find out what ingredients work best.

The first thing you have to do is make sure you are not feeding allergenic treats and chews. These gluten filled treats are the worst offenders. Then you have to learn what dry , canned , raw , or home made food that your dog does best with. Natural Balance Duck and Potato and Taste of the Wild Salmon and Sweet Potato are good choices.

Dogs with dry skin may need extra oils like olive, fish oil, and canola. These oils are healthy and protect the body in so many ways. They often will help with allergies and many general health issues. Feeding healthy “human food “ingredients are great as long as your dog tolerates them and you don’t feed too much, too fast to a dog that is sensitive.

Most dogs love a variety of healthy food in their diet , but dogs will sensitive stomach, gut , and bowel problems can react to the fat or the protein in meat scraps or even be sensitive to rice or some veggies . You need to take time and care changing the diet on those dogs with pancreatitis issues or a touchy gut.

Did you know pieces of chicken and turkey hot dogs make great treats for allergic dogs? That is if they tolerate chicken and turkey!

Question by shafarr: Getting rid of fleas – use of flea bombs around electronics?
I’m pretty sure that I’m going to have to get some flea bombs but how do I use them around the tv and stuff? Do I have to cover the electronics or can I just let the bombs off? What about the kitchen? I’ve been vaccuuming every day and the numbers are down but not completely going away.

We actually got the fleas from a couch. We’ve never had fleas until my husbands niece gave us a couch and now we have fleas and we can’t get rid of them. Will we have to get rid of the couch?

Best answer:

Answer by BERTI have cats and have had to get rid of fleas a couple times and have never used a bomb. I went to Home Depot and got that big container of flea spray called Enforcer. It has always worked for us. If you spray the sofa it should kill the fleas. Vacuum everything very well first and then spray. Be sure to get rid of the vacuum bag or empty the cup. You will need to repeat all this in a few weeks just in case you missed any egss. Just follow the instructions on the bottle and you’ll be fine. I’m assuming that you don’t have pets. If you do they will undoubtedly have contracted the nasty little buggers and you will have to remove them when you treat your house and treat them as well.

This is the spray. You can pick it up at Home Depot if you don’t want to wait for it to ship….

Question by Shan: When I pet my puppy, my hands itch and burn afterward. Does this mean I’m allergic?
I would pet and play with my 7 week old puppy once in awhile, and when I forget to wash my hands afterward, my hands eventually start to itch and burn really bad. It gets better when I wash my hands. This also happened with my other puppy, a Rottweiler/Pitbull hybrid. Is this normal or…?
My 7 week puppy is a pitbull, if that info helps at all.